as in monarchs
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
the aging ruler agonized over the choice of an heir
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Recent Examples of rulers
The inscriptions include his throne, birth names of the Pharaoh, who is also known as Sesostris III, and was one of the most prominent rulers of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom.
—
ABC News, 1 June 2026
Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, BTS superstar Jung Kook and South Korean girl group Blackpink have all amassed a trio of rulers thus far, and any of them may score one more soon, changing this order again.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Built by Rajput rulers of the Chauhan clan, the fort later came under the control of the Delhi sultanate and the Mughals before returning to the Rajput rulers of Jaipur.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
Only a few elite graves have ever been uncovered, along with evidence of rulers or wealthy families, so the Cucuteni-Trypillia seemed to have boasted a large population, without a centralized government.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Like the brothers, Amini was a member of Iran's Kurdish minority and lived in the country's western Kurdish heartland, where there has long been deep animosity and distrust toward the country's theocratic rulers.
—Omar Abdulkader, CBS News, 28 May 2026
The coins were minted between the 980s and the 1040s and bear the names of rulers including Æthelred II, Otto III, Harald Hardrada and the legendary King Cnut.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Once stuff does start growing, STEM-loving kids can use rulers to measure their plants on a daily or weekly basis.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Its clerical rulers, who put down a mass uprising at the start of the year, have faced no sign of organized opposition since the war began.
—Reuters, NBC news, 20 May 2026
ABC News, 1 June 2026
Olivia Rodrigo, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, BTS superstar Jung Kook and South Korean girl group Blackpink have all amassed a trio of rulers thus far, and any of them may score one more soon, changing this order again.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Built by Rajput rulers of the Chauhan clan, the fort later came under the control of the Delhi sultanate and the Mughals before returning to the Rajput rulers of Jaipur.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 June 2026
Only a few elite graves have ever been uncovered, along with evidence of rulers or wealthy families, so the Cucuteni-Trypillia seemed to have boasted a large population, without a centralized government.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Like the brothers, Amini was a member of Iran's Kurdish minority and lived in the country's western Kurdish heartland, where there has long been deep animosity and distrust toward the country's theocratic rulers.
—Omar Abdulkader, CBS News, 28 May 2026
The coins were minted between the 980s and the 1040s and bear the names of rulers including Æthelred II, Otto III, Harald Hardrada and the legendary King Cnut.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026
Once stuff does start growing, STEM-loving kids can use rulers to measure their plants on a daily or weekly basis.
—Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Its clerical rulers, who put down a mass uprising at the start of the year, have faced no sign of organized opposition since the war began.
—Reuters, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rulers
Noun
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This tour walks the trail blazed by Cathy Aguado, who discovered the monarchs’ overwintering site in 1975.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
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The pope, known as León XIV in Spanish, opened his weeklong trip in Madrid, greeted at the airport by the country’s Catholic monarchs, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Noun
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But in his third and rockiest year at the helm of the Trojans, Riley was still compensated like one of the kings of the sport.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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The collection spans centuries of storytelling in multiple genres, from migratory fairytales with kings and princesses to legends of ghosts and the Devil to fables with talking animals.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Noun
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For nearly five centuries, emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties came here to worship Heaven and pray for good harvests.—
Xianda Huang,
The Conversation,
16 May 2026
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Like the Chinese emperors of old, Xi has used the lure of Chinese wealth to reinforce China’s power.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Noun
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But a series of 15th century directives from the Vatican authorized Portuguese sovereigns to conquer Africa and the Americas and enslave non-Christians.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
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Encouraged and frightened by the events at Naples, other sovereigns granted constitutions.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rulers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rulers. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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